A variety of systems have been developed for the repair and cosmetic enhancement of fingernails, including the use of artificial fingernails. The most successful and popular systems employ a cyanoacrylate gel which is spread over the surface of the fingernail and cured to form a protective coating or to adhesively secure an artificial fingernail to the natural nail. Such systems have been developed which use powders and liquids that are blended and applied to the fingernail surface to form a gel that hardens, or to cyanoacrylate liquids or gels contained in bottles for application to the fingernail by use of a brush or the like. Separate accelerators or hardeners to cure the gel are then applied by spraying or brushing the hardener onto the previously applied layer of cyanoacrylate gel. In all such systems, paramount considerations are ease of use, absence of toxicity and appearance of the finished product.
Examples of several prior art systems are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,626,428, 4,627,453, 4,646,765, 4,724,177 and 4,687,827.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,428 discloses a process for applying an acrylic coating to a fingernail, in which a powdered polymethacrylate ester is applied to a nail surface wetted with a slow curing cyanoacrylate glue, a blend of acrylic monomers is brushed onto the applied powder and glue, and the nail is finished after curing of the glue.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,453 teaches a system for forming an artificial fingernail from layers of organic fabric, such as silk, applied over a natural nail with adhesive and hardened with a hardening solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,646,765 describes a system in which a mixture of cyanoacrylate and graphite fibers is applied to a fingernail and cured by spraying a hardener/accelerator onto the cyanoacrylate compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,177 is directed to a package for applying cyanoacrylate to a fingernail. In this system, a brush prewetted with a solvent for the cyanoacrylate is immersed in a bottle of the cyanoacrylate and used to brush it onto a nail surface. Thereafter, an accelerator is sprayed onto the cyanoacrylate to cure it.
U.S. Pat. 4,687,827 is directed to the method of applying cyanoacrylate as defined in U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,177.
In all of the prior art systems known to applicant, considerable skill is required to apply the cyanoacrylate and hardener so that a smooth and unblemished surface results. Moreover, many prior art systems require several steps and involve the use of many components, which adds to the difficulty of using the systems and increases their cost. Use of a brush to apply the cyanoacrylate or hardener may result in brush marks in the cyanoacrylate, which must be buffed out. Further, in those systems utilizing a container of cyanoacrylate gel or liquid having a brush or the like apply the gel to the fingernail surface, or to a hardener which is applied by brush or the like, there exists the potential for accidentally tipping over the container while the brush, etc. is out of the bottle, thereby tipping over and spilling the gel or hardener.
In those systems using a spray applicator to apply the hardener, the danger of tipping over an open bottle of hardener is eliminated, but disadvantages are introduced associated with the use of sprays.
Accordingly, there is need for a simple and inexpensive system and method for applying a protective coating or fingernail extension using a cyanoacrylate gel and hardener, wherein the danger of accidentally tipping over an open container of gel or hardener is minimized, and the application of the gel and hardener is reduced to a minimum number of steps, while at the same time a smooth finish is achieved without the need for excessive grinding and buffing.
Where reference herein is made to fingernails, it is to be understood that the invention applies equally as well to toenails, or to other surfaces, and use of the invention for such other applications is also intended to be covered.